Please Make it on Time!
by Jasaiya Hawkins
Summary: Partner story to "Dancing in the Moonlight". It's Naruto's birthday and Hinata wants to surprise him. But will Naruto get home from his mission in time to make to the celebration? Even more, his own birth celebration! NaruHina, oneshot.


So, as I wait for the beta reader for my Man Story to get back to me, I thought I would post the sequel for Dancing in the moonlight.

--

Hinata sat in the park miserably. It was October tenth, Naruto's birthday. He had made her sixteenth birthday last year so special. She had sworn to make his birthday just as special in return. But while her thoughts were loyal, his special birthday that she had sworn to give him might not happen after all. As it stood now, he may not even get back in to the village from his mission in time for it.

"I've heard from him," Tsunade had told Hinata when Hinata had approached the Hokage to ask if he was on his way home. "He's on his way now. But even going at his fastest, he couldn't give me a time of arrival. He may come back in time, he may not. We'll just have to wait and see. Apparently there was more to the mission than was requested and it took a little longer than expected."

"Naruto, I hope you're OK," Hinata murmured softly. "It's a perfectly sunny day, but it's not sunny in my world without you." The sun glinted off the necklace around her neck brightly. Whenever she was not a mission, she wore it. She had just returned from a two week long mission three days ago. Naruto had not been at the gate waiting for her like he promised to try and do. Instead, it was Shino, who had told her he had left on a mission a week before.

"Hinata, I have great news!" Kiba called out as he approached her, Akamaru trotting by his side. Hinata looked up. "Akamaru and I, as you know, have a very extensive sense of smell. We happened to smell a certain scent. I'm thinking that we meet him along the road." Hinata caught on quickly. "Want to ride on Akamaru as I walk? He'll probably be tired, so I'll give my spot up to him. Akamaru can still only give a ride to a couple of people comfortably."

"OK," Hinata agreed happily. She let Kiba help her onto the huge dog's back. "Thank you very much, both of you." Akamaru barked happily in response to this.

"Alright, here we go," Kiba said as he walked beside Akamaru. They exited the village gates quickly, after explaining what they were doing to the guards at the gate.

"Kids," one guard commented lightly. "They could've just waited by the gates and he would have showed up soon enough if he was close enough to be detected with the Inuzuka's keen sense of smell."

"Ah, but that's Hinata Hyuuga we're talking about," the other one pointed out. "You know how much she worries about others, especially Naruto. If all of this kids of this generation are like that, we're in good hands."

--

"I really appreciate this," Hinata told Kiba again. "You know how Naruto can be. He always put others above himself and completely disregards what it costs him to protect them. If I remember correctly, Naruto was escorting a well known politician back to his home town."

"That sounds right," Kiba agreed. He sniffed the air, something he did every few minutes since leaving the village and getting on the main road. "He's close." Hinata's joyful expression could not be missed. She looked around. In the bright sunlight about half a mile away, she could see someone heading toward's Konoha. It was too far away to see any details though.

"Is that Naruto?" Hinata asked eagerly. Kiba grinned and shook his head yes. "Naruto! We came to meet you!" Hinata waved to get his attention. Naruto shaded his eyes and squinted to see further ahead into the bright sunlight that was glaring into his eyes. Recognition flashed across his face and he waved back, picking up his pace to meet them faster.

"Hinata, you could have waited in town. I would have gotten there shortly," Naruto told his girlfriend. "But thanks for coming meet me out here anyway. I'm sorry I had to leave before you returned, but Tsunade ordered me on a mission."

"Oh, it's fine," Hinata assured. "But you're injured." Naruto looked guiltily at his bandaged left hand.

"It's fine," Naruto promised Hinata. "Even with a fast recovery rate, it will take some time for it to recover after you have had your hand pierced by a large number of those needles." Hinata gasped at this. "It's already mostly healed, so you don't have to worry."

"Naruto, ride on Akamaru back into town," Kiba told him. Naruto began to protest that he could walk. "Just get on. Shouldn't you take it easy on your birthday? Even if you are a ninja, you're still human. And you look completely bushed too."

"Oh yeah. I turned seventeen today didn't I?" He asked himself sillily. "I've been so busy that I forgot." Kiba shook his head as he gave the blonde a boost up onto Akamaru's back. "At least I'll be able to relax for the rest of the day. Tsunade will wait until tomorrow for my report." Naruto laughed and put his head on Hinata's shoulder. "I'm sorry if I made you worry. That really wasn't my intention."

"Promise me that you'll be more careful in the future and I'll forgive you," Hinata told him. Naruto laughed and swore that he would. "Later I'll give you my present. It took me awhile to find the right one, but I think you'll like it."

"Just you putting up with me this long is enough. I don't need anything else from you," Naruto replied gratefully. "My current happiness is only thanks to you. Before I was content. Now I'm happy."

Kiba finally stopped in front of the apartment complex where Naruto lived. "Alright lovebirds, I have places to be. So either get off here or you're coming with." Naruto jumped off and offered a hand to Hinata to help her down. She jumped down lightly. "See you two later." He jumped onto Akamaru and they were gone.

"Would you like to come in?" Naruto offered. Hinata accepted the invitation and walked with Naruto up the stairs to his apartment. "Welcome to my humble abode." He unlocked the door and let her enter first. Naruto shut the door behind him and dumped his bag onto his bed, along with his jacket. He walked into the living room and sat down next to Hinata on the couch.

"Are you tired?" Hinata asked him. "I could leave and let you rest quietly if you would like." Naruto shook his head, letting it fall against the back of the couch with a solid thump.

"You don't have to leave," Naruto quickly told her. "I've missed you a lot." His eyes started to close and his breathing evened out. Hinata looked at Naruto's bandaged left hand. It was bandaged past his elbow all the way down to his knuckles.

"I missed you too," she softly whispered in his ear as she got him to lay down on his couch. She also got a pillow under his head.

"Mhhmmm," he said in his sleep as he curled up. Hinata smiled and covered him up with a nearby light blanket.

"Happy birthday Naruto," she said after she kissed him on the forehead, much in the way her mother had done for her before she had died in childbirth. She pulled out a thin box from an inner pocket of her jacket and placed it in plain sight near him. "I'll see you later. For now, get some sleep." She left the apartment, a mischievous grin on her face.

--

Some hours later, Naruto opened his eyes slowly and looked around. He found that he was completely alone in his apartment. His eyes fell on a wrapped box near his hand. He grabbed it and read the tag on it. _To Naruto, From Hinata, Happy 17th birthday. _He unwrapped it and found a piece of paper in there. He picked it up and saw something under the paper. Naruto picked it up. It was a pocket knife, which he flicked open. The handle was jet black with orange swirls all around it. There was something inscribed on the blade. Bringing it closer to his face to read it, he realized that it was his name.

He then remembered the paper. "You are invited to celebrate with us the birthday of our own, Naruto Uzamaki." He read aloud in wonder. Further details of the location and time followed. Smiling, he took a shower and changed into clean clothes, putting his new pocket knife in his pocket. He had a party to go to.

--

Yes, this is the end. But I am starting a collection of oneshots devoted exclusively to NaruHina. Someone has already asked for another NaruHina oneshot. If anyone asks me to do one, it'll be put there. And yes Chewie Cookies, I know. You want NaruHina babies. Maybe I'll be nice and do a NaruHina baby oneshot. I don't know yet. Anyway, if you guys would like a specific NaruHina oneshot, let me know.

What is it with me and NaruHina? I'm really feeling the urge to do another long NaruHina fic. If I ever get around to doing it, it'll be interesting. A particular story idea keeps nudging my mind.


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